Stranger at the beach house (27 page)

After
a few moments he rolled off me, collapsing against the crumpled red sheets and
blowing out a long deep breath. I knew exactly what he meant. “Still mad?” he
smiled, pulling my head gently to rest on his chest as he stroked my hair and I
could barely speak as I shook my head. I smiled at the low chuckle that rumbled
in his throat suggesting he’d known exactly what he was doing from the minute
he walked in here. I appreciated the effort of the massage. Normally he’d have
got the same result just by deploying the killer smile, but I wasn’t about to
share that information.

“So
you enjoyed your massage then?” he asked, running a soft, smooth finger across
my cheek as I gazed up at him nodding.

 
“Did you?” I laughed as he raised his
eyebrows.

 
“God no, you were terrible,” he mocked as I
smacked his arm, getting up before I dozed off, fully aware that I had a rather
important event to get ready for.

Chapter 21

It
had taken me absolutely ages to get ready. For some reason after Thursday
night’s dinner party I was more conscious than ever about what Sam’s
acquaintances would think of me. I’d been under the microscope then and I
imagined it would be the same tonight. There was also that little voice in my
head that was telling me Daniel would be there, and I don’t know what it was
about seeing the ex who’d cheated on me, but I wanted to look super good just
to rub it in that he’d fucked up. I wasn’t sure why that was, it wasn’t as if I
wanted him back, I absolutely didn’t. I guessed it was pride, or ego or
something daft, but the feeling was there, however ridiculous it might be.

Sam
came into the bedroom huffing and puffing and moaning about how long I was
taking. As I turned to berate him and tell him this stuff took time, I didn’t
get the words out as my heart stopped in my chest. Oh. My.
God.
I was staring, unable to take my eyes off him as he cocked his head, a puzzled
frown set on his brow as he watched me. “Are you OK, Rose?” he asked as I shook
my head mutely and I was speechless.

Sam
was hot. He was always hot. Whatever he did, whatever he wore. Hot. Hot. Hot.
But tonight he looked insanely hot as I swallowed hard, unable to quite believe
this man was with me because he damn well shouldn’t be. He was in a league of
his own and I was trying hard to gather my wits as he strode towards me holding
my shoulders, deep blue eyes gazing into mine as I drowned in the sight of him.

His
tuxedo was wonderfully cut, perfect on his tall broad frame, his bright white
shirt setting off his deep olive skin and the dark stubble that shaded his jaw,
stunning eyes piercing under thick dark lashes. My very own Bond and he
was
breath-
takingly
beautiful.
“What is it?” he asked quietly as I smiled.

 
“You look incredible, Sam,” I said as he shook
his head, laughing at my reaction.

“So
do you, but for this particular event you’ll need clothes on, so can we hurry
it along here, Sweetheart, I’ve got a limo booked for about half an hour ago,”
he smiled, kissing me gently before striding out of the room and I could hear
him pour himself a beer as I finished the rest of my make-up and pulled on the
beautiful white dress and high platform
Louboutins
Wendy had obviously picked to accompany it. I don’t know how she knew my size
but I could guess.

As I
looked in the mirror I was as happy as I’d been in the store. I might not be in
Sam’s league but I looked good for me, more than good, and while it may have
cost more than a second hand family car, for the confidence it gave me tonight
it felt worth every penny.

I
teetered into the kitchen on my heels as Sam turned and gasped, having much the
same reaction as I’d had to him and my heart soared. We’d never really seen
each other dressed up before and it was a reminder of how new this all was.
“You look absolutely amazing,” he said, lifting his finger in a circular motion
and asking me to twirl. I did as he asked, giggling and smiling as he pulled me
into a kiss so deep it was all I could do not to beg him to take me to bed
again.

“I
am one lucky fucking guy,” he said as my heart flipped, grabbing my hand and
taking me out to the waiting limo as we drank champagne, riding through the
streets of London before we arrived at The
Langham
for
the publishing ball.

I
could see Lizzie, rushing over the second we walked through the doors, looking
beautiful and dazzling despite her impression of a headless chicken as she ran
towards us panting and gasping. “There you are; what took you so long?” she
glared at me as I shrugged apologetically. She grabbed Sam’s arm and led him
off somewhere before I even opened my mouth.

“It
looks like it’s just me and you, Dave,” I laughed as he rolled his eyes
playfully.

“Jesus,
Rose, I hope she calms down now you two are here. I’ve never seen her like
this,” he said shaking his head.

 
“It’s a big night, Dave, let’s go and get a
drink,” I said, making my way into the room and glancing around to see if I
could locate, and avoid, anyone I knew i.e. Daniel Bowman and Sam’s ‘friend’
Cheryl who for some reason had been at the spring ball, so may well be here
again tonight.

I
stood with Dave for a while before he went to join Lizzie, who was standing
with Sam, engaged deep in a conversation with a group of men at the far end of
the room. I didn’t fancy joining him and hovering in the background so I just
stood on my own, wondering what the hell I was doing here before reminding
myself I was here for my friend and to be a bit more gracious. God knows Lizzie
and Dave had done enough to help me over the last few months. Coming to a
fabulous event with free champagne to lend moral support was hardly the
sacrifice of the century.

“Hi,
Rose”.
Great.

 
“Hi, Cheryl” I smiled, turning to see Candice
walking towards us both which made me altogether happier.

 
“I see he’s off with Lizzie. He does that.
You’ll probably not see him for the rest of the night,” she smiled bitchily
before Candice arrived, her hands full of champagne.

“Hi,
Rose it’s good to see you again, you look fabulous,” Candice smiled warmly as I
smiled broadly back at her.

 
“So do you, it’s lovely to see you. Sam’s
helping my friend Lizzie in her networking tonight. She’s just gone freelance
so he’s introducing her to some of the movers and shakers,” I smiled, a comment
which was mostly aimed at Cheryl.

“Oh
he knows everyone, Rose, we’ll pop and say hello,” she grinned before they
turned and walked away, leaving me alone once again as I gazed around the room
locking eyes unexpectedly with a pretty, brown haired girl who was looking at
me intently before looking away. There was something about the way she’d been
staring that was a little bit strange. I looked again, but she was facing the
other way now. She had probably just mistaken me for someone else. Sam’s army
of exes were making me bloody paranoid.

I
looked again for Sam. He was speaking with Salisbury. Lizzie was smiling and
laughing and I was glad she had ended things amicably with him. I didn’t know
him well but he was a nice old guy, a true English gent and the absolute
opposite of his partner who I suddenly noticed was striding across the centre
of the room and making a beeline directly for me. Fuck. I glanced at Sam hoping
he wouldn’t see this. He was by no means Daniel Bowman’s biggest fan. That
said, some of his friends left a lot to be desired so he would just have to
live with it.

“Rosebud,”
he smiled, bending to kiss my cheeks as I forced a half smile. “You look
incredible tonight,” he said softly, taking his time to rake his gaze over my
entire body. At one time glances like that had sent my heart spinning. I took a
sip of champagne and aimed for civility.

“Hi,
Daniel, did you get your problem at work sorted out?” I asked. After his
revelation at the beach house, I wondered whether he was really in as much
trouble as he’d implied. He was an idiot with a wandering eye and a wayward
cock, but I knew how much his business meant to him and I wouldn’t have wanted
him to lose it.

“It’s
still up in the air, Rosebud, but I’m exploring other opportunities. Are you
here with Lizzie?” he asked as I nodded my head, wondering whether to mention
Sam.

He
hadn’t wanted him snooping around at the beach house so I decided to just keep
quiet for now, looking around for him and noticing that he was talking to the
girl with the brown hair who’d been staring at me before, and she was watching
me intently again. It wasn’t a glance. It felt like she was assessing me and I
was sure now that I wasn’t just being paranoid. Sam was leaning in closely,
whispering something in her ear and touching her arm gently. It was an intimate
gesture and she watched me while he did it. I felt suddenly sick, remembering
the phone call from earlier as my anger bubbled back up inside me and I
couldn’t shake it, tearing my eyes away as Sam followed the girls gaze directly
to me.

“Well,
Rose?” Daniel was grinning as I shook my head. I had obviously completely
missed his question.

 
“Sorry. What did you say, Daniel?” I asked as
he grabbed my arms, pulling me towards him as I gasped at him in shock.

 
“I asked you if we could start again, Rose,”
he said, his lips millimetres from mine as I shook my head, trying to pull away
and escape his grip, which only tightened as the tall figure of Sam loomed up
beside us, taking in the situation as he turned on Daniel.

“Get
your fucking hands off my girlfriend,” he said firmly as Daniel released his
grip and I took a step backwards, still stunned at his words as he grinned
broadly, looking between me and Sam in utter disbelief.

“You
have got to be fucking kidding me. Is this true, Rosebud?” he asked as I nodded
mutely, his smile turning to a smirk before full blown laughter and sounding
just like a Bond villain with his sneering, mocking tone. “Does she know?” he
asked, looking at Sam and then me, guessing the answer from the silence that
ensued. “You haven’t told her. Jesus, Rose, I see you’re as gullible as ever.
Even your best fucking friend knows. I just hope you’re ready for the shit
storm that’s coming your way,” he said to me as I looked at him aghast. He
turned his glaring eyes on Sam who lost control.

In a
split second it had erupted into a full blown fight as I stared transfixed,
listening to the sickening blows of the punches they rained down on each other,
unable to process the scene that was unfolding before my eyes and the words
he’d just said. Daniel knew? Lizzie knew? Yet still I didn’t.

He
was right. I was as gullible as ever, a stupid, trusting fool. These were grown
men and this was Lizzie’s night and here they were fighting as I looked on,
stunned and immobile as every pair of eyes in the room turned to watch the
drama unfold. All
except
one.

As I
glanced around, I found the strange girl watching me again and I couldn’t hold
in my anger, running from the ball, stopping only as I hit the pavement
outside, pulling out my phone and calling the only person I could think of as
the tears caught up with me and I sobbed down the line.

“Harry,
it’s Rose. Please can I stay with you tonight?”

“Rose,
calm down, what’s the matter?” he asked, his voice laced with concern.

 
“It’s Sam. Harry, please come and get me,” I
replied, realising from the sounds in the background that he was already in his
car.

“Where
are you?” he asked quickly, the urgency in his tone matching my own need to get
out of there before Sam caught up with me. I had had enough today and I needed
to be on my own.

 
“Outside The
Langham
,”
I sobbed, watching the door and hoping that someone had managed to break up the
fight, and my boyfriend and my ex hadn’t completely ruined Lizzie’s freelance
debut.

 
“Stay there, I’ll be with you in two minutes,”
he said, hanging up the phone and in less than a minute the C- Class screeched
to a halt beside me and he beckoned me in. I sat in silence as he drove off,
trying to collect myself and quiet the heaving sobs that were racking my body.

“I
need to ring Sam,” Harry said gently. “He needs to know where you are and that
you’re safe, Rose, OK,” he said speed dialling the number through the cars
telephone system. In less than two rings his ragged voice filled the car and he
sounded absolutely frantic.

“Harry
I can’t find Rose, she’s run off. That motherfucker Bowman started winding me
up, it kicked off and she ran Harry. I don’t know where she’s gone and I’m
going out of my fucking mind here”. Sam was panicking.

“She’s
here with me and she’s OK,” said Harry calmly to the angry response of “What?”
from Sam. Unlike the rest of us, Harry was at least managing to remain cool.

“She
called me, Sam, and asked if I could pick her up from The
Langham
.
Look, I don’t know what’s gone on with you two, but she can stay with me
tonight and we’ll sort something out in the morning,” he replied, completely
unruffled.

“Put
her on,” Sam growled angrily as Harry turned to smile at me, putting his hand
on my knee in a comforting gesture before he spoke. “She already is, Sam,
you’re on loudspeaker,” said Harry calmly as Sam tried desperately to get his
breathing under control.

“Rose,
are you OK, what’s the matter?” he asked, and I could not control my surging
anger.

 
“What’s the matter? Are you fucking kidding
me, Sam? Your ‘situation’ is the matter. The big secret that you can’t possibly
tell me, but as far as I can see everyone else knows. Alice, Harry, Lucas, your
family, my best friend and now to top it all, even my ex fucking boyfriend
knows. Then you leave me to go and cosy up with some other woman who you’ve
probably fucked, despite the fact that after Thursday night, you knew how much
it would hurt me. She’s been giving me strange looks all night, I’ve had Cheryl
in my face again, and you all but disappeared from the minute we walked through
the door. I’m supposed to just let it go because I’m a gullible, trusting
idiot. But you couldn’t let it go. You had to go throwing your fists around and
ruining everything. Daniel is a dickhead, Sam, but what he said was right
tonight. He was bang on the fucking money,” I finished and I was absolutely
gasping for breath, having turned almost purple and stunned Harry into absolute
silence.